# Where will the pulses meet?

1. May 2, 2004

### dj_werd

I'm having a hard time with this problem, and was wondering if somebody can help
A wire 10.3 m long have a mass of 97.8 g is stretched under tension of 248N. If two pulses, separated in time by 29.6 ms, are generated on at each end of the wire, where will the pulses meet?

Plz e-mail if anybody has a way to do this problem
dj_werd@hotmail.com

2. May 3, 2004

### HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
Unless this is a course in partial differential equations, you were probably given a formula for wave speed on a stretched wire: if I remember correctly it is
$$c= \sqrt{(\frac{T}{\rho})}$$
where T is the tension and ρ is the linear density of the wire (mass divided by length). Once you know the wave speed, it should be easy to determine where the pulses meet.

3. May 3, 2004

### HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
I get a wave speed of 161.6 m/s and that the two pulses meet 7.54 m from the end at which the first pulse started.

4. Nov 19, 2010

### Shivnal

Okay so I understand how to get the wave speed, but I am not really sure how you found the distance on where the pulses will meet.